Outliers: The cure for the common shopping binge?

If you start to doze off after gobbling down too much turkey this Thanksgiving, just think of the tryptophan in that bird as an inoculation against another kind of excess.

According to a study by University of Utah researchers, the high levels of tryptophan in turkey and other proteins can make consumers less liable to make impulse buys.

“We were very excited to study the influence of consuming a tryptophan-rich meal in a naturalistic way, rather than a lab setting,” says Arul Mishra, assistant professor at the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah. “We were able to demonstrate the effects tryptophan can have on consumer purchase decisions, particularly impulsive ones.”

So remember: If you're thinking of buying that $15,000 edible gingerbread playhouse from Neiman Marcus for little Isabella or Jacob (and no, we're not making that up: bit.ly/aXUoD7), just take a bite from a turkey sandwich, and step away from the cash register (or your computer).